YJA Convention 2010 07 New Brunswick NJ Ninth

Author(s): Young Jains of America (YJA)
Publisher: Young Jains of America YJA USA

Page 80

2010 ESSAY COMPETITION
AGE GROUP: 22-29 WINNER: PARAS DOSHI, MARLBORO, NJ
Live your Jain life to the fullest and set a great example so other Jains can be inspired by your existence. Inspiration is a key element in the everyday life of Jainism. Inspiration, according to www.dictionary.com, "is a divine influence directly and immediately exerted upon the mind or soul." As one can see, inspiration even has a religious meaning. Inspiration is a very important aspect of Jainism because it truly allows one person to impact another one's life. If inspiration did not exist in Jainism, many Jains would not be pursuing the right path to Moksha. Being inspired by the right people and divinity, many Jains can lead a more successful Jain life that can lead them to their ultimate destination, Moksha.
Inspiration has been a huge aspect of my daily Jain life and thus, has shaped me into the human being that I am now. Every day, I am inspired by others, both old and young and Jain and non-Jain. Inspiration has allowed me to think in a certain way and has also led me to make the proper choices.
The inspiration I received came mainly from my family I grew up with. Unlike the modern day American household which consists of four to five family members, I grew up in a family that still valued the traditional Indian lifestyle and thus valued the extended family. I was inspired by many of my family members.
I was very fortunate to have been under the same roof as my grandparents. They taught me a lot about Jainism and its way of life. I would definitely have been a different person today if I did not live with my grandparents. Since my parents were occupied with work, my grandparents had the time to show me the true path of Jainism. At a very young age, they inspired me to recite the Navkaar Mantra. I was able to recite the first four parts of Samayik at a very early age. They told me that these words of prayers I am speaking are very important to all Jains. They should come first and foremost before anything that is auspicious. This is the last saying of the Navkar Mantra-Manglananch Savvesim, Padhamam Havei Mangalam. I. unfortunately, did not attend any paathshala but my grandparents taught very well.
My grandparents taught me about the Jain diet. They explained to me why they do not indulge in eating onions, garlic, and other root vegetables. This inspired me to consume root vegetables to the minimal amount. Living in America, it is difficult to lead a life without eating root vegetables, but I try to refrain from eating it as much as possible. In fact, we do not bring, and therefore, cook root vegetables into our house. Every attham and paakhi (8th and 15th day of the Jain calendar), my family and I do not consume root vegetables or even leelothri which are raw vegetables. I was inspired by my grandparents also to not to step on the grass and lawn because they are living things. I, therefore, try to avoid stepping on grass during attham and paakhi. I was inspired not to eat eggs at all because no one in my family ate it. We then even stopped eating honey because we are stealing the food bees make and eat. Also, in the process, the bees are killed and their hives are destroyed.
My grandparents have inspired me to become a better Jain by not only teaching me the rights and wrongs of our physical being, but they have also taught me the importance of our mental being. Ever since I was young, my family has always done amazing tup during Peryushan. My grandfather will always complete atleast one Upwaas during Peryushan. I have always noticed that my family would do some sort of tup during Peryushan. I, by observing others, also wanted to try and accomplish my first Upwaas. I was able to complete it when I was 10 years old. Every Peryushan after that, I was completing more and more Upwaas. In 2003 when I was 17 years old, I was able to successfully complete my first Atthai. I figured out that if I set out to do something and if you had will-power, you can accomplish anything. I would not have been able to accomplish this goal without my grandparents' inspiration.
I was very fortunate to have been inspired by grandparents. Hopefully, I can learn as much as I can from them so that I can inspire my children and my grandchildren. The key to upholding our traditional values through generations is to make sure that we get inspired by the right people and then, we in turn, can inspire others.
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YJA CONVENTION 2010 I New Brunswick